Patents by Inventor Takeshi Karato

Takeshi Karato has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240010820
    Abstract: A rubber composition for heavy-load tires including an aromatic vinyl-conjugated diene copolymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of ?50° C. or lower and having a functional group interactive with silica; and silica.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: ZS ELASTOMERS CO., LTD., ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shingo KUWABARA, Takeshi KARATO
  • Patent number: 8952101
    Abstract: For a tire excellent in strength, low-heat buildup property, wet grip property, and driveability, and a rubber composition and a conjugated diene rubber for the tire, a conjugated diene rubber of the present invention includes 5 wt % or more of a structure that 3 or more conjugated diene polymer chains are bound via a denaturing agent, obtained by reaction of each chain and the agent, each chain being that at least one of terminals is an isoprene block having 70 wt % or more of an isoprene monomer unit, and the other is an active terminal, the agent having, per molecule, at least one of an epoxy group(s) and a hydrocarbyloxysilyl group(s), and being that a total number of the epoxy group(s) and hydrocarbyloxy groups in the hydrocarbyloxysilyl group(s) per molecule is 3 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Sasajima, Takeshi Karato, Takeshi Sugimura
  • Patent number: 8937130
    Abstract: A conjugated diene rubber of the present invention is prepared from conjugated diene polymer chains, wherein the conjugated diene polymer chains each has an active end at one end and an isoprene block at least at the other end, the isoprene block contains 70 wt % or more isoprene monomer units, and the active ends of at least part of the conjugated diene polymer chains are modified with a compound having a >C?O group as a functional group. This provides (i) a tire that has an excellent strength, excellent low-heat buildup property, and excellent wet grip property and (ii) a rubber composition and a conjugated diene rubber that are suitably used to produce the tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuo Sasajima, Takeshi Karato, Takeshi Sugimura
  • Publication number: 20130267649
    Abstract: A conjugated diene rubber of the present invention is prepared from conjugated diene polymer chains, wherein the conjugated diene polymer chains each has an active end at one end and an isoprene block at least at the other end, the isoprene block contains 70 wt % or more isoprene monomer units, and the active ends of at least part of the conjugated diene polymer chains are modified with a compound having a >C?O group as a functional group. This provides (i) a tire that has an excellent strength, excellent low-heat buildup property, and excellent wet grip property and (ii) a rubber composition and a conjugated diene rubber that are suitably used to produce the tire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: ZEON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuo Sasajima, Takeshi Karato, Takeshi Sugimura
  • Publication number: 20130012651
    Abstract: For a tire excellent in strength, low-heat buildup property, wet grip property, and driveability, and a rubber composition and a conjugated diene rubber for the tire, a conjugated diene rubber of the present invention includes 5 wt % or more of a structure that 3 or more conjugated diene polymer chains are bound via a denaturing agent, obtained by reaction of each chain and the agent, each chain being that at least one of terminals is an isoprene block having 70 wt % or more of an isoprene monomer unit, and the other is an active terminal, the agent having, per molecule, at least one of an epoxy group(s) and a hydrocarbyloxysilyl group(s), and being that a total number of the epoxy group(s) and hydrocarbyloxy groups in the hydrocarbyloxysilyl group(s) per molecule is 3 or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventors: Tatsuo Sasajima, Takeshi Karato, Takeshi Sugimura
  • Patent number: 7700693
    Abstract: A conjugated diene rubber composition comprising (A) 5-95 wt. % of a conjugated diene rubber having a structure such that at least three conjugated diene polymer chains are bonded together through a specific polyorganosiloxane having groups containing alkylene glycol repeating units and (B) 95-5 wt. % of a conjugated diene rubber having reacted with a compound having in the molecule a functional group selected from >C?O, >C?S, amino, imino, epoxy, pyridyl, alkoxyl and halogeno. This rubber composition gives, when silica is incorporated therein, a vulcanizable rubber composition having good processability and giving a rubber vulcanizate exhibiting sufficiently reduced heat build up, and having good wet-grip property and good abrasion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Masao Nakamura, Koichi Endo
  • Patent number: 7625971
    Abstract: Disclosed are silica-filled rubber granules comprised of a cocoagulation product of rubber and silica, which are extremely less powdery and excellent in handling and kneading, as well as an industrially advantageous process for producing same. The silica-filled rubber granules of the present invention are dried granules of a cocoagulation product of rubber and silica particles, which are characterized in that an average particle diameter (D50) in terms of the sieve analysis is 300˜3000 ?m and the weight ratio of the granules within the range of D50±(D50×0.5) is at least 50% by weight. The silica-filled rubber granules are produced by supplying a cake of a cocoagulation product of silica and rubber having a water content of 40˜80% by weight to a drier provided with an indirect-heating type container having stirring wing blades, and then drying the cake while stirring it with the stirring wing blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignees: Tokuyama Corporation, Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Tokunaga, Tsunetoshi Sugimura, Kazutaka Watanabe, Osamu Yatabe, Takeshi Karato, Takahiko Fukahori, Yoshihiro Chino
  • Patent number: 7619028
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a diene rubber composition and a cross-linked diene rubber thereof excellent in tensile strength, wear resistance and processability, keeping compatibility of both good fuel efficiency and high gripping property, and a production method thereof. What is characterized in the composition is that the composition is comprised of 100 parts by weight of a diene rubber having a molecular weight distribution expressed in terms of the ratio of the weight-average molecular weight to the number-average molecular weight of 1.1 to 30, 20 to 200 parts by weight of silica and a cationic polymer, and that a toluene-insoluble rubber content per gram of the silica within the range from 0.2 to 1 g, and diene cross-linked rubber thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignees: Tokuyama Corporation, Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Kazutake Watanabe, Osamu Yatabe, Takeshi Karato, Yoshihiro Chino, Takahiko Fukahori
  • Publication number: 20080275184
    Abstract: A conjugated diene rubber composition comprising (A) 5-95 wt. % of a conjugated diene rubber having a structure such that at least three conjugated diene polymer chains are bonded together through a specific polyorganosiloxane having groups containing alkylene glycol repeating units and (B) 95-5 wt. % of a conjugated diene rubber having reacted with a compound having in the molecule a functional group selected from >C?O, >C?S, amino, imino, epoxy, pyridyl, alkoxyl and halogeno. This rubber composition gives, when silica is incorporated therein, a vulcanizable rubber composition having good processability and giving a rubber vulcanizate exhibiting sufficiently reduced heat build up, and having good wet-grip property and good abrasion resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Masao Nakamura, Koichi Endo
  • Publication number: 20070260005
    Abstract: A silica-containing conjugated diene rubber composition comprising a conjugated diene rubber-silica mixture (A) containing at least 30 wt % of toluene insoluble components obtainable by co-coagulating an aqueous dispersion or solution of conjugated diene rubber (a) having a glass transition temperature of ?120 to 0° C. with an aqueous dispersion of silica, blended with a conjugated diene rubber (b) having a glass transition temperature such that the difference in absolute value between the glass transition temperature of rubber (b) and that of rubber (a) is 3 to 100° C. According to the invention, it is possible to provide a rubber composition having highly balanced fuel efficiency, wet grip performance, mechanical strength, wear resistance and low temperature brittleness resistance; and suitably used for tire treads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Applicants: ZEON CORPORATION, Tokuyama Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Yoshihiro Chino, Kazutaka Watanabe, Osamu Yatabe
  • Patent number: 7241842
    Abstract: A conjugated diene rubber obtained by a process wherein active conjugated diene polymer chains each having an active metal at a polymer chain terminal, which have been obtained by polymerizing a conjugated diene monomer alone, or a conjugated diene monomer and an aromatic vinyl monomer with the aid of an organic active metal in an inert solvent, are allowed to react with a specific polyorganosiloxane capable of reacting with the active metal bonded to the polymer chain terminal. The conjugated diene rubber contains at least 5% by weight of a structure comprising at least three conjugated diene polymer chains bonded through a polyorganosiloxane. The conjugated diene rubber gives, when silica is incorporated therein, a rubber composition having good processability and giving a crosslinked rubber having reduced heat build-up, good wet grip performance and good abrasion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Nakamura, Masaaki Komatsu, Kouji Shouya, Kiyonori Umetsu, Takeshi Karato, Takahiko Fukahori
  • Publication number: 20070037916
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a diene rubber composition and a cross-linked diene rubber thereof excellent in tensile strength, wear resistance and processability, keeping compatibility of both good fuel efficiency and high gripping property, and a production method thereof. What is characterized in the composition is that the composition is comprised of 100 parts by weight of a diene rubber having a molecular weight distribution expressed in terms of the ratio of the weight-average molecular weight to the number-average molecular weight of 1.1 to 30, 20 to 200 parts by weight of silica and a cationic polymer, and that a toluene-insoluble rubber content per gram of the silica within the range from 0.2 to 1 g, and diene cross-linked rubber thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventors: Kazutaka Watanabe, Osamu Yatabe, Takeshi Karato, Yoshihiro Chino, Takahiko Fukahori
  • Publication number: 20060281850
    Abstract: Disclosed are silica-filled rubber granules comprised of a cocoagulation product of rubber and silica, which are extremely less powdery and excellent in handling and kneading, as well as an industrially advantageous process for producing same. The silica-filled rubber granules of the present invention are dried granules of a cocoagulation product of rubber and silica particles, which are characterized in that an average particle diameter (D50) in terms of the sieve analysis is 300˜3000 ?m and the weight ratio of the granules within the range of D50±(D50×0.5) is at least 50% by weight. The silica-filled rubber granules are produced by supplying a cake of a cocoagulation product of silica and rubber having a water content of 40˜80% by weight to a drier provided with an indirect-heating type container having stirring wing blades, and then drying the cake while stirring it with the stirring wing blade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicants: Tokuyama Corporation, Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Tokunaga, Tsunetoshi Sugimura, Kazutaka Watanabe, Osamu Yatabe, Takeshi Karato, Takahiko Fukahori, Yoshihiro Chino
  • Publication number: 20060155076
    Abstract: A conjugated diene rubber obtained by a process wherein active conjugated diene polymer chains each having an active metal at a polymer chain terminal, which have been obtained by polymerizing a conjugated diene monomer alone, or a conjugated diene monomer and an aromatic vinyl monomer with the aid of an organic active metal in an inert solvent, are allowed to react with a specific polyorganosiloxane capable of reacting with the active metal bonded to the polymer chain terminal. The conjugated diene rubber contains at least 5% by weight of a structure comprising at least three conjugated diene polymer chains bonded through a polyorganosiloxane. The conjugated diene rubber gives, when silica is incorporated therein, a rubber composition having good processability and giving a crosslinked rubber having reduced heat build-up, good wet grip performance and good abrasion resistance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2003
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Applicant: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Nakamura, Masaaki Komatsu, Kouji Shouya, Kiyonori Umetsu, Takeshi Karato, Takahiko Fukahori
  • Publication number: 20060143938
    Abstract: A silica-containing rubber composition produced by filtering slurry of silica-containing rubber crumbs obtained by co-coagulating a mixture of rubber latex and silica to give a moisture content of 80 wt % or less, dehydrating by a dehydrator having a compression function, then, drying. According to the present invention, a silica-containing rubber composition with improved silica dispersibility can be provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Kazuhiro Hikida, Takahiko Fukahori, Yoshihiro Chino, Kazutaka Watanabe, Osamu Yatabe, Tsunetoshi Sugimura, Shinji Tokunaga
  • Patent number: 7045578
    Abstract: An oil-extended rubber comprising a conjugated diene rubber having a specific amount of isoprene units, and an extender oil incorporated therein, characterized in that the rubber is obtained by polymerizing a monomer mixture comprising 1,3-butadiene and an aromatic vinyl monomer with the aid of an organic active metal as an initiator in a hydrocarbon medium; subsequently adding isoprene to continue polymerization, then; reacting the resulting polymer having an activated terminal with a coupling agent. A rubber composition comprising the oil-extended rubber is suitable for tread of tire having a low fuel consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Manabu Tomisawa, Takahiko Fukahori
  • Patent number: 6984706
    Abstract: A diene rubber (A) having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 100,000 to 3,000,000, an Mw/number average molecular weight (Mn) ratio of 1.30 to 2.50, and an Mw/peak top molecular weight (Mp) ratio 0.70 to 1.30. A rubber composition comprising the diene rubber (A) and a diene rubber (B) having an Mw of 2,000 to 90,0000 and/or an oil extender for rubber has good processability and can give a rubber vulcanizate having high tensile strength and good abrasion resistance. The diene rubber (A) is produced by conducting a living polymerization of diene monomer in a hydrocarbon solvent; adding a polymerization stopper to a polymerization mixture at a conversion of 5 to 98% to deactivate 10 to 90% by mole of active terminals present as of the initiation of polymerization; and finally adding a polymerization stopper to completely terminate the polymerization reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Masaaki Komatu, Kazuhiro Takase
  • Publication number: 20050154156
    Abstract: A diene rubber (A) having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 100,000 to 3,000,000, an Mw/number average molecular weight (Mn) ratio of 1.30 to 2.50, and an Mw/peak top molecular weight (Mp) ratio 0.70 to 1.30. A rubber composition comprising the diene rubber (A) and a diene rubber (B) having an Mw of 2,000 to 90,0000 and/or an oil extender for rubber has good processability and can give a rubber vulcanizate having high tensile strength and good abrasion resistance. The diene rubber (A) is produced by conducting a living polymerization of diene monomer in a hydrocarbon solvent; adding a polymerization stopper to a polymerization mixture at a conversion of 5 to 98% to deactivate 10 to 90% by mole of active terminals present as of the initiation of polymerization; and finally adding a polymerization stopper to completely terminate the polymerization reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Applicant: ZEON CORP.
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Masaaki Komatu, Kazuhiro Takase
  • Publication number: 20040092645
    Abstract: An oil-extended rubber comprising a conjugated diene rubber having a specific amount of isoprene units, and an extender oil incorporated therein, characterized in that the rubber is obtained by polymerizing a monomer mixture comprising 1,3-butadiene and an aromatic vinyl monomer with the aid of an organic active metal as an initiator in a hydrocarbon medium; subsequently adding isoprene to continue polymerization, then; reacting the resulting polymer having an activated terminal with a coupling agent. A rubber composition comprising the oil-extended rubber is suitable for tread of tire having a low fuel consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventors: Takeshi Karato, Manabu Tomisawa, Takahiko Fukahori
  • Patent number: 6602942
    Abstract: An oil-extended rubber comprising 100 weight parts of a rubber ingredient comprising a conjugated diene rubber wherein the ratio (Mw/Mn) of weight average molecular weight (Mw) to number average molecular weight (Mn) is in the range of 1.2 to 2.2, and the conjugated diene monomer units have a vinyl bond unit content of at least 20%, and 5-100 weight parts of a process oil having a total acid value of not larger than 1.0 mgKOH/g, a pour point of not higher than 50° C. and an aromatic carbon content of at least 20%. A rubber composition comprising 100 weight parts of the above-mentioned rubber ingredients, 5-100 weight parts of the process oil and 10-200 weight parts of a reinforcing agent. This rubber composition gives a crosslinked article having high tensile strength, high abrasion resistance and reduced heat build-up, and is useful, for example, as an automobile tire material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Zeon Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Karato